Improvement in steam-engines



UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE H. REYNOLDS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58.478, dated October2, 1866.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. REYNOLDS, of the city and county of NewYork, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Steam-Engines, intended mainly for screwpropellerengines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription thereof. 1

My invention relates to the framing of the structure with a view tobetter resist the strains toI which it is subject with little materialand little expense, and to the construction and arrangement of partsconnected with the valvemotion, with a view to better reduce the evilsresulting from a looseness of the parts. The valve-motion is of the kindknown as the f link-motion.

My invention provides for adjusting the position of the link andholding` itin position in a manner which is preferable to any beforeknown to me.

I will irst describe what I consider the best means of carrying out myinvention, and will afterward designate the points which I believe to benew.

The accompanying drawings forma part of this specification.

Figure l represents the entire engine, partly in elevation and partly insection, the section at the base on the left side being in the plane"ofthe shaft, and on the right side in the plane of one of theperpendicular rods. Fig. 2 is an elevation at right angles Ito Fig. l.Fig.3 is an .enlarged view ofthe link and link-block, with the backplate of the latterremoved. Fi g. 4 is a vertical section throughthelink and link-block complete. Fig. -5 is a view of the link-block,corresponding to Fig. 3, and showing the lprovision for taking up theslack of the parts when any is produced by wear.

Similarletters of reference indicatelike parts in all the figures.

Tints are employed to aid in distinguishing parts, and do not indicatethe material. The material may be of the usual kind.

A is the main shaft; B, a crankpin5 G, the castings forming what iscommonly known as the bed-plate or bed-piece, c, the adjustable brassesfitted therein, and C the binders which are applied on the under side ofthe bed-piece, as indicated. D D are stout rods of wrought-iron, whichextend from the cylinder E in straight lines through the bed-piece O andthrough the binders O', and are provided on the under side with stoutnuts d. 11 is the'cross-head, guided on the rods D; e c, two piston-rodsconnected thereto, and G the connecting-rod.'

Steam being admitted and discharged in the ordinary manner, the pistou(not. represented) is reciproeated up and down, and communicates arotatory motion to the shaft A, as usual, while the severelifting-strain on the cylinder E which is experienced lwhen the pistonis being depressedfand the severe depressing strain on the cylinderwhich is experienced when the piston is being elevated, are resisted bythe rods D in a manner which is more direct than usual. The strain isdirect between the cylinder E and the binders C. When the piston ismoving down under the force of the steam above it, it presses down onthe shaft A, and thus on the binders O O', with a force which isj ustequal to that with which the steam lifts on the cylinderE by pressingagainst the under side of its upper head, and the two forces pullagainst each other by receiving the strain directly in line of the axesof the straight' rods D. These rods are distributed as represented, sothat all may pull alike, and the bed-piece C is not obliged to receiveor transmit any of this strain. In case the engine is to be taken apart,it is easily effected by removing the nuts d, when the rods D may belifted out of the bed-piece C. The nuts d may be secured by jam-nuts,cross-piece, or other ordinary means, in addition to their own bindingforce, if desired, and the binders may be adjustedwith all the delicacywhich is desired.

H is the link, and 7i a rack or segment of gearing on the outer edgethereof. The link receives motion from two eccentrics properly placed onthe shaft A, through the medium of two rods, I I2, and transmits themotion of the one or the other to the valve-stem J, accord ing as thelink is shifted one way or the other, so as to reverse the engine and tovary the point of cut-off, as is familiar to steam-em gineers.

My means of operating the link with regard to its adjustment andconfinement will now be described in detail.

The link-block, by means of which the peculiar motion of the link istransmitted to the valve-rod J, is made up of several pieces, which willbe separately designated. The pin j is liked in the valve-stem J atright angles thereto. The piece M forms one side of the main body of thelink-block, and lts nicely to the upper side of the pin j. The piece mforms the front plate of the link-block, and the two pieces M and m lapover upon the front and rear faces of 'the link,l so as to nicely guidethe link when it is shifted. The piece L tits in a recess havingparallel sides in fthe lower side of the piece M under the pin j, andlits nicely to the under side of the said pin. The piece K applies underboth the pieces M and L, and, with said pieces, fills the entire breadthof the slot H in the link H.v This slot H is nicely finished and ofuniform breadth throughout, asis usual in links of this character; butwhile it is common in ordinary links for the slot to wear, so as tobecome of variable widths after the link has been a long time in use, myinvention provides for reducing this wear to an inappreciable amount.

I believe that my engine will work for an indefinite period Without anyperceptible increase in the width of the slot, or in the bread th of thelink-block made up as here described; but it is easy to compensate forany variation in the width of the block by shimming or applying' thinsheets of metal. Incase the entire link-block is to be increased indepth, I apply a thin piece across the entire lower faces of the piecesM and L, between them and the piece K.

The pin j, by its constant wear on the pieces M and L, is liable toacquire considerable play, the condition in that respect being about thesame with my invention as with ordinary link-blocks, but my inventionprovides for taking this play: As soon as the pin becomes loose in thelink-block I can raise the piece L, by shimming under it-that is to say,applying a thin piece of metal under the piece L between it and thepiece K. This may be additional by one or more such pieces applied alongthe whole upper surface of the piece K, as before described.

P is' a shaft, mounted in portions of the pieces M and m which projectabove the upper edge of the link. It is provided with a handcrank, Q, bywhich it may be turned at will, and with a screw-thread, p, whichreceives a nut, R, provided with radial handles 1^, by which it may beconveniently turned. A gearwheel, O, is fixed on the shaft P, and meshesinto the rack h, before described. This gearwheel is of little lessthickness than the link. The back end of the pin P is provided with aordinarily turned so as to press against the piece m. In order to shiftmy link I turn the nut R back, as represented. 'I then seize the handleQ and turn it around, which operation, by the working of the smallpinion o in the rack h, moves the link in one direction or the other.When it has reached the desired position, I turn the nut R again, so asto cause it to press with force against the piece m. This compresses thelink H so as to pinch it between the pieces M and'm with such force asto hold the link-block and its connection firmly to the link in theposition desired.

It will be observed that force thus applied acts with a purchase, or asa lever, to press the link with greater force than is due to the directpressure of the nut R-that is to say, the piece m acts as a lever havingits fulcrum at m" and receiving the power at R, so that it compresses orpinches the upper half of the link, which stands between these points,with a force about double that due to the direct action of the nut. Theengine will work now in this condition for any period without movingthelink-block or the link, and consequently Without inducing any wearbetween their surfaces. The adjustment may be made and changed while theengine is running.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new therein,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

l. The rods D, arranged as represented relatively to the cylinder E,cross-head F, bedpiece C, and binders C', so as to receive the crushing`and rending strain between the cylinder and the binders in the line oftheir axes, as herein set forth.

2. Arranging the link H to hold the lilikblock rigidly in the desiredposition thereon, substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinset forth.

. 3. The pinion o, carried on the link-block, in combination with therack h on the link, and with means for confining the link firmly to theblock in any desired position, so as to prevent loose play between theparts while the engine l is working, substantially as and for thepurpose herein set forth.

4. The compound link-block M L K, adapted to allow of adjustment byshimming, substantially as herein set forth.

GEORGE n. nnYNoLns.

Witnesses D. W. STETsoN, D. L, FnEnBo'RN.

